Disability Policy

The British Disabled Angling Association
Legal policies
2003
Disability Policy

These policies have been amended from the Sports Coach UK policies.

Index

• Neglect • Physical abuse • Emotional abuse • Sexual abuse
• Participants with disabilities
• Disability Discrimination Legislation - Glossary of terms
• Equal opportunities
• Equity • data collection • Communication • Publicity
• Workshops • Positive Action program’s - Coach development - Monitoring & Evaluation
• Terminology
• BDAA Policy agreement
• The protection of disabled adults & children in Angling

The information below has been adapted from Protecting Disabled Children and Adults in Sport and Recreation • the Guide and is intended to be a basic introduction to the area.

Further details can be found on the Child Protection in Sport Unit (CPSU) website.

The Children Act identifies four categories of abuse: neglect, physical, emotional and sexual. Some of the people playing your sport will not be children (The Children Act 1989 describes a child as being under the age of 18 years) but the information is still relevant.

Neglect

• Where an individual is left alone and unsupervised.
• Where a disabled person is exposed to a dangerous situation, for example, because they are unable to see or hear or unable to remove themselves from a situation.

Physical Abuse

• Where a disabled person is forced to take part in a sports activity against their will.
• Where a disabled person is physically restrained in an inappropriate way.

Emotional Abuse

• When disabled people are talked about as if they are not there.
• When a disabled persons self-esteem is undermined through ridicule.

Sexual Abuse

• When disabled people are used by other people to meet their own sexual needs.
• When the disabled person requires personal care, which involves intimate contact with another person, the situation could provide an opportunity for abuse in a seemingly proper context.

It may he useful to remember that all children and adults, regardless of impairment, may he vulnerable at certain times of their lives but for some disabled people, this vulnerability will be more frequent. They could therefore he at higher risk and more open to abuse.

Disabled people can have meaningful relationships with other disabled and non-disabled people. However, if the relationship is with another person in a position of trust, for example, a coach having a sexual relationship with a player, then refer to the sport’s NGB procedures for guidance.

It may also be useful to be aware of procedures to follow if bullying is suspected. Attendance at a Good Practice and Child Protection workshop is recommended for further information and guidance in all of the above areas. For details of workshops in your area, telephone sports coach UK on 0113-274 4802, or find details of your local regional office on the website at www.sportscoachuk.org

Participants with disabilities

• Children or adults with disabilities should have the same rights and opportunities as others involved in sport to have fun and be safe. Their particular vulnerability to abuse or neglect requires sports clubs/organisations to take additional steps to safeguard them.
• Information relating to club policies and procedures should be fully accessible to Adults/ children and young people with communication difficulties.
• Specialist training or advice should be sought by clubs/organisations that involve adults/children or young people with disabilities in angling. For example, when staff need to guide blind or partially sighted wheelchair users etc, training will help ensure that they use the most appropriate methods. If training is not available, ask the adult/child for advice or seek the advice of parents or carers.
• When transporting adult/child with disabilities, the vehicles used should meet the needs of the adult/children and be roadworthy. Appropriate and trained escorts should be in attendance in the vehicle.
• When adults/children with disabilities are lifted or manually supported, the individual adult/child should be treated with dignity and respect. Relevant health and safety guidelines must be followed to ensure the safety of the child and those assisting. It is recommended that those assisting receive appropriate training.
• Access and safety is paramount when organising an event full access and risk assessments are to be carried out.
• Good practice and code of conduct to be applied at all times.

Legislation upon which the policy is based

The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) was passed in 1995 to introduce new measures aimed at ending the discrimination which many disabled people have suffered. It protects disabled people in the following areas:

• Employment.
• Access to goods, facilities and services.
• The management, buying or renting of land or property.

For service providers such as British disabled Angling Association the Act states the following:

• Since December 1996 it has been unlawful to treat disabled people less favourably than other people for a reason related to their disability.
• Since October 1999 we must make reasonable adjustments for disabled people, such as providing extra help or making changes to the way we provide our services.
• From 2004 we must have made reasonable adjustments to the physical features of our premises to overcome any physical barriers.

This policy relates to the legislation outlined in the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, it provides a platform in which to ensure disabled people have equal access to employment, services and programmes British disabled Angling Association provide.

The policy also highlights the positive action British disabled Angling Association intends to take to address disabled people's access to coaches and coaching.

Glossary of Terms

Disability: Defined under the DDA 1995 as a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on a person's ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.
Disadvantage: The disproportionate deprivation of some or all resources.
Discrimination: The action that people take on the basis of their prejudices, which result in unfair and unjust treatment.
Direct Discrimination: Treating one person less favourably than another would be in similar circumstances. Direct discrimination on the basis of sex often shows itself in traditional stereotypes about the roles of men and women and what might be considered men's jobs and women's jobs. Women are frequently the targets of discriminatory practices.
Indirect Discrimination: Instigating requirements or conditions, which, on the face of it, apply equally to all but which, in practice, can be met only by certain advantaged individuals. Such requirements or conditions are lawful only if they can be objectively justified.
Equal opportunities: Within the employment context, treating people as individuals and providing them with opportunities on the basis of their skills, talents and qualifications so that they are neither disadvantaged nor denied access on the grounds of their age, disability, ethnicity, race, sex or sexual orientation.
Equity: In its simplest sense, fairness; the process of allocating (or reallocating) resources and entitlements, including power, fairly and without discrimination. It may also use positive action initiatives and measures to address existing inequities.

(These definitions are taken from Sport England's Making English Sport Inclusive: Equity guidelines for governing bodies fact file: Sports Equity 2000)

Equal Opportunities Statement of Intent

British Disabled Angling Association is committed to the principles and practices of equal opportunities both as an employer and in the delivery of services. Employment opportunities, programmes, products and services are available to all sections of the community and British Disabled Angling Association will not discriminate on the grounds of gender, marital status, race, colour, disability, sexuality, age, occupation, religion or political opinion.

• Job advertisements are widely distributed and proactive measures will be taken to ensure they are brought to the attention of disabled people.
• All advertisements display the wording British Disabled Angling Association is an Equal Opportunities Employer.
• An application form requests information on disability to be given on a tear-off slip which is totally anonymous and collection of this data will enable British Disabled Angling Association to monitor the effectiveness of its recruitment policy.
• The current job summary sheet, which gives details of each job advertised, will be extended to allow specific information to be recorded with regard to disabled people.
• Job details are made available in electronic formats through the British Disabled Angling Association website, upon request job details can be made available in large print or audio.

Other Employment Policies

• British Disabled Angling Association's induction programme includes information and instruction on British Disabled Angling Association's Equity Action Plan and Racial Equality policy. This will be extended to include the Disability Policy.
• The current complaints (i.e. grievance) procedures and disciplinary procedures will be reviewed and revised to deal specifically with direct and indirect discrimination.
• British Disabled Angling Association is committed to a policy of equal treatment of all staff in relation to career progression and decisions on promotion and advancement within the company will be based solely on the individual's ability.
• Any employee recruited to work at British Disabled Angling Association HQ who has a physical impairment, would be situated on the ground floor where there is access to toilets, meeting rooms, office space and the kitchen.

Equity Training Programme

All staff, including technical, management and administrative staff will continue to receive appropriate training in equity issues.

• Technical and management staff will undertake British Disabled Angling Association's Equity in your Coaching workshop.
• Administration and Management Services staff (i.e. those not directly involved in the provision of services ) will undertake in-house equity training based on relevant areas of British Disabled Angling Association's Equity workshop.
• The current training evaluation process will be followed to monitor the effectiveness of equity training and to identify any follow up training required
• All British Disabled Angling Association tutors will receive information on the benefits of attending equity training as part of their In Service Tutor Training programme. It will be strongly recommended that all tutors complete the Equity in Your Tutoring workshop.

Data Collection

• All Directorates of British Disabled Angling Association will collect equity data on every aspect of the organisation and its service delivery.
• British Disabled Angling Association will ensure that all systems will support both the collection and manipulation of data to monitor the effectiveness of British Disabled Angling Association's equity policies.
• British Disabled Angling Association will continue to ensure relevant data on all employees is recorded on the computerised personnel package and regular reports are run to monitor the current employee profile.

Communication Strategy

• British Disabled Angling Association's Mission Statement specifies the organisation's aim to promote and apply the principles of best practice in relation to equal opportunities and is displayed prominently throughout the headquarters office and British Disabled Angling Association's ten regional offices.
• British Disabled Angling Association's Statement of Intent regarding equality issues is contained within the British Disabled Angling Association's Code of Conduct, which is issued to all staff on appointment.

Publicity and Promotion

• Positive images and role models of disabled people, representatives and disabled coaches will be represented in all resources, promotional and publicity material.
• Sources of obtaining positive images will continue to be identified and an annual budget will continue to be allocated for this purpose.

Workshops

• All British Disabled Angling Association workshops will be updated in terms of equity content, examples, illustrations and case studies by the Coach Education team through the workshop review schedule.
• British Disabled Angling Association will endeavour to use facilities for all Coaching Centre workshops that are accessible to all people. Furthermore, British Disabled Angling Association will, as far as possible, encourage franchise partners to run workshops in facilities that are accessible to everyone.
• British Disabled Angling Association will endeavour to increase the number of disabled people gaining access to British Disabled Angling Association workshops through our positive action programmes.
• Through Initial Tutor Training, tutors will be trained to challenge any discrimination that arises in workshops they are delivering Tutor evaluations will be reintroduced and record all incidences of discrimination.

Positive Action Programmes - Tutor Training

• British Disabled Angling Association will develop a positive action programme, which targets the development of tutors who are disabled.

Coach Development Programmes

• Regional equity projects will be developed that look at the most effective ways of identifying recruiting, training, educating, deploying, supporting and mentoring disabled coaches.
• British Disabled Angling Association will work with key partners, English Federation of Disability Sport (EFDS) and NGBs to increase the number of disabled entering into coaching and develop schemes to support existing ones.
• British Disabled Angling Association will support the work of EFDS and NGBs to achieve disability standards in coaching.
• British Disabled Angling Association will endeavour to uncover the facts about disabled people and angling/coaching.
• British Disabled Angling Association will collect evidence from partners' good practice schemes on the best ways of targeting disabled anglers. This information will be shared with all partners.

Monitoring and Evaluation

• A comprehensive monitoring and evaluation system will be developed to ensure the successful implementation of the disability policy

TERMINOLOGY

"Disabled people" or "People with disabilities" NOT "the disabled"
"People who are blind" NOT "the blind"
"James, who has Down’s syndrome" NOT "Mongol boy James"
"People with learning difficulties/disabilities" NOT "the mentally handicapped"
"A deaf person without speech" NOT "deaf and dumb"

Again: avoid terms, which imply pity/inadequacy or are pejorative or simply inaccurate:

Use "Down’s syndrome" NOT "Mongol"
Use "Cerebral Palsy" NOT "spastic"
Use "disabled persons" NOT "the handicapped"
Use "disabled persons" NOT "the sick"
Use "disabled persons" NOT "invalids" 
Use "disabled persons" NOT "the retarded"
Use "disabled persons" NOT "the crippled"
Use "accessible toilets" NOT "disabled toilets"
Use "wheelchair user" NOT "confined to a wheelchair"

Fashions change, and so does language, but the above terminology is in current use among disabled people themselves. It is their preferred style whenever it is really necessary to categorise them.

All representatives will ensure they are familiar and up to date with positive and negative terminology at all times.